The MIDAS experiment: A prototype for the microwave emission of Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays
Creators
- 1. Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics and Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, University of Chicago, 5640 S Ellis Ave, 60637 Chicago, IL (United States)
- 2. Centro Atomico Bariloche and Instituto Balseiro, San Carlos de Bariloche (Argentina)
- 3. Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (Spain)
- 4. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Fisica, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
Description
Recent measurements suggest that extensive air showers initiated by ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECR) emit signals in the microwave band of the electromagnetic spectrum caused by the collisions of the free-electrons with the atmospheric neutral molecules in the plasma produced by the passage of the shower. Such emission is isotropic and could allow the detection of air showers with 100% duty cycle and a calorimetric-like energy measurement, a significant improvement over current detection techniques. We have built MIDAS (MIcrowave Detection of Air Showers), a prototype of microwave detector, which consists of a 4.5 m diameter antenna with a cluster of 53 feed-horns in the 4 GHz range. The details of the prototype and first results will be presented.
Availability note (English)
Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nuclphysbps.2011.03.135Additional details
Identifiers
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.nuclphysbps.2011.03.135;
- arXiv
- arXiv:1010.5224v2;
- PII
- S0920-5632(11)00205-2;
Publishing Information
- Journal Title
- Nuclear Physics. B, Proceedings Supplements
- Journal Volume
- 215
- Journal Issue
- 1
- Journal Page Range
- p. 63-65
- ISSN
- 0920-5632
- CODEN
- NPBSE7
Conference
- Title
- 12. topical seminar on innovative particle and radiation detectors
- Acronym
- IDRD10
- Dates
- 7-10 Jun 2010
- Place
- Siena (Italy)
INIS
- Country of Publication
- Netherlands
- Country of Input or Organization
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
- INIS RN
- 43069913
- Subject category
- S71: CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; S79: ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; S72: PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS;
- Resource subtype / Literary indicator
- Conference
- Descriptors DEI
- ANTENNAS; CALORIMETRY; ELECTRON COLLISIONS; ELECTRON EMISSION; ELECTRONS; EXTENSIVE AIR SHOWERS; GHZ RANGE 01-100; MICROWAVE RADIATION; PLASMA; SIGNALS; SPECTRA
- Descriptors DEC
- COLLISIONS; COSMIC RADIATION; COSMIC SHOWERS; ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT; ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION; ELEMENTARY PARTICLES; EMISSION; EQUIPMENT; FERMIONS; FREQUENCY RANGE; GHZ RANGE; IONIZING RADIATIONS; LEPTONS; RADIATIONS; SECONDARY COSMIC RADIATION; SHOWERS
Optional Information
- Copyright
- Copyright (c) 2011 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.